It's been a little over 3 weeks since we've been back from Italy. Coming back home has been surprisingly easy with no problems adjusting. I started working full time RIGHT away and have picked up two 4-night babysitting jobs (this is where I get to be a mom for 5 days for two boys on top of a 40 hour work week). Needless to say, I have probably been too busy to even think about adjusting back to our culture. Now that I am sitting down to think about it, the thing I miss the most is being able to take in and enjoy an environment with no real "stress." When we were in Italy, yes, we did a lot of research, reading, and tours, but a lot of the time we did not have a set agenda, and we could roam the streets of Italy however we pleased. This type of cultural immersion is what I immediately responded to. This ties in with exactly the Italian culture, because everything is more laid back. Being 10 minutes late or more is being on time, dinners take hours, and you mind your own business and go on about your day. The U.S is completely different. Like I said, since being back, I have been working countless hours while trying to catch up with a friend here or there. I know that summer will be gone before I know it because it is already flying by so fast!
One thing I thought I would miss greatly is the food- which I do. However, my mom is an amazing cook, so I haven't been missing the Italian food TOO much. :) As far as cuisine goes, I miss my gelato!! I wish we had cheap ice cream stands all around the city. I would be in heaven.
Overall, when I look back on Italy, it all seems like a dream. Even though we were there for a full 3 weeks, I feel like my life picked up right where it left and that Italy didn't really happen or something. It is a weird feeling to explain! I think working so much has hindered my recalling abilities since my focus is on that now.
However, no matter where life takes me, I know Italy will always have a piece of my heart.
Steph
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Arrivederci!
We have been home from Italy for
two weeks now!
Wow!
It is hard to explain but I teeter-totter
between feeling like we were there just yesterday and feeling like we were
there a whole year ago. My memories feel distantly vivid. I think its because
there isn’t a lot in my daily life that reminds me of my experiences Italy. At
home the bread has salt in it, the check automatically comes at the end of the
meal, the streets are clean, and everything seems much more modern.
In contrast I have found myself missing
those things as well. On one of the first days in Italy our tour guide Lena
told us everything was the way it was for a specific purpose. The city was full
of history and meaning. Comparatively everything in the United States is just
so new. Our nations history only goes back 200 years compared to Italy’s which
goes back over 2000 years. This trip was great to compare the benefits and see
the disadvantages of such an historic country. I can’t wait to go back one day!
Arrivederci
Kate
On our last and only day in Rome we did an express tour and saw all the sites we could in an afternoon!
We saw the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon. It was awesome!
Friday, June 21, 2013
There's No Place Like Home
We have been home for almost a week and I have answered "How was your trip?" more than I can count. Our last days in the land of pasta were amazing! Granted I was tired and ready to come home, but seeing the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Spanish Steps in just a few hours was mind blowing.
The day of travel was interesting to say the least. The flight from Rome to Montreal was amazingly easy. Plenty of good movies to choose from and really good food (never thought I'd say that). There was a huge line at customs and a couple of snafoos, but we all made it. As soon as we got to Chicago, I made it a point to get McDonalds. Then we walked to literally the other side of the airport to find our gate to Lincoln. This is where my mood took a notable turn. It had already been a long day, but that was the airport that made it feel like the day was never ever going to end. Ever. All I could think about was how good it would feel to be at home finally.
I loved every minute of Italy, but as soon as I got back I knew exactly what I missed. I obviously missed my family and friends, but beyond that. The U.S. offers such a variety in the food that it's really hard to get sick of a certain thing unless you purposely have it every day. Then just by the mere fact of how much land there is, we have so much more space. These are only a couple of things I noticed, but I do know that while this trip helped me appreciate another culture. It also helped me appreciate my own culture.
There's no place like home.
Where ever your home is.
Mine happens to be Lincoln, Nebraska.
And you know what they say...
There's no place like Nebraska!
It's been real Italy and I'll miss ya, but ciao for now!
Love,
Caitie
The day of travel was interesting to say the least. The flight from Rome to Montreal was amazingly easy. Plenty of good movies to choose from and really good food (never thought I'd say that). There was a huge line at customs and a couple of snafoos, but we all made it. As soon as we got to Chicago, I made it a point to get McDonalds. Then we walked to literally the other side of the airport to find our gate to Lincoln. This is where my mood took a notable turn. It had already been a long day, but that was the airport that made it feel like the day was never ever going to end. Ever. All I could think about was how good it would feel to be at home finally.
I loved every minute of Italy, but as soon as I got back I knew exactly what I missed. I obviously missed my family and friends, but beyond that. The U.S. offers such a variety in the food that it's really hard to get sick of a certain thing unless you purposely have it every day. Then just by the mere fact of how much land there is, we have so much more space. These are only a couple of things I noticed, but I do know that while this trip helped me appreciate another culture. It also helped me appreciate my own culture.
There's no place like home.
Where ever your home is.
Mine happens to be Lincoln, Nebraska.
And you know what they say...
There's no place like Nebraska!
It's been real Italy and I'll miss ya, but ciao for now!
Love,
Caitie
Can we go to our favorite restaurant?
Now that I have been back in the states for almost a week, I have to say I miss Italy. I mean I knew that I would, but it is really hitting me now. I do miss one thing more than everything else though, the food. Seriously, the food in Florence was some of the best food I have ever had. Now eating pasta everyday did get a little boring, but they had so many different kinds of pasta to choose from. Now missing the food leads to missing one more thing, our favorite restaurant. With so many different restaurants to choose from in Florence, one might think it impossible to have a favorite, but we did.
We found this restaurant our first night in Italy. We just put our stuff in our apartment and went out in search of sustenance. We stopped at the first place we saw, little did we know how important it would come to be for us. The place was called Accadi. It is safe to say that we all enjoyed our meal that night and ever since we compared ever other meal we had in Italy to that restaurant and nothing could match how good it was. So we went back, and back some more, and then some more. Now out of everyone, I went there the most, with a total of eight times... I know a little excessive, but I was in love. I even got the recipe of my favorite dish, so I will be perfecting it.
Not only was the food good, but the people were amazing. We met the cooks and got to know our waiters. Now one waitress in particular was there almost ever time we went, and I think a few of us ended up thinking of her as a surrogate aunt. She would always talk to us while we were there, she tried to teach us a little Italian, and she definitely became our favorite Florentine.
Now seeing that we went there so much, they started to give us little things after we would eat. The first time we got shots of white Sambuca, which I have to say I am not fond of, but in Italian culture it would be rude to turn down a gift so a few of us got our first experience with this black licorice flavored alcohol. Then the next time we were offered Limoncello, which is significantly better, but still a little strong for some of us. And the last night all of the cooks and both our servers came out and sipped Limoncello with us. That had to have been one of my favorite memories of Florence.
So now that I am back and missing Italy, I thought I would write my final blog post about why. The sights of Florence are amazing, the priceless artwork we saw was great, but the food and the people is what I will hopefully go back for someday.
If you want to look up Accadi they have a website! http://www.trattoriaaccadi.com
This is us on our last night in Florence with our servers!
We found this restaurant our first night in Italy. We just put our stuff in our apartment and went out in search of sustenance. We stopped at the first place we saw, little did we know how important it would come to be for us. The place was called Accadi. It is safe to say that we all enjoyed our meal that night and ever since we compared ever other meal we had in Italy to that restaurant and nothing could match how good it was. So we went back, and back some more, and then some more. Now out of everyone, I went there the most, with a total of eight times... I know a little excessive, but I was in love. I even got the recipe of my favorite dish, so I will be perfecting it.
Not only was the food good, but the people were amazing. We met the cooks and got to know our waiters. Now one waitress in particular was there almost ever time we went, and I think a few of us ended up thinking of her as a surrogate aunt. She would always talk to us while we were there, she tried to teach us a little Italian, and she definitely became our favorite Florentine.
Now seeing that we went there so much, they started to give us little things after we would eat. The first time we got shots of white Sambuca, which I have to say I am not fond of, but in Italian culture it would be rude to turn down a gift so a few of us got our first experience with this black licorice flavored alcohol. Then the next time we were offered Limoncello, which is significantly better, but still a little strong for some of us. And the last night all of the cooks and both our servers came out and sipped Limoncello with us. That had to have been one of my favorite memories of Florence.
So now that I am back and missing Italy, I thought I would write my final blog post about why. The sights of Florence are amazing, the priceless artwork we saw was great, but the food and the people is what I will hopefully go back for someday.
If you want to look up Accadi they have a website! http://www.trattoriaaccadi.com
This is us on our last night in Florence with our servers!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Saying Goodbye to Italy
Our last evening in Florence--we had gelato at our favorite place
Our farewell dinner in Rome. The students presented me with a beautiful, leather-bound book in which they wrote lovely messages.
Kate on the plane leaving Rome
Vanessa, Caitie, and Caty on the plane leaving Rome (I could not reach Step from my seat)
First stop for several students when we landed in the United States: McDonald's
A day in Rome
I took this picture from a taxi that Caty Reed and I took to St. Peter's Basilica. Steph, Kate, Vanessa and Caitie are in this taxi heading to the Colosseum.
In St. Peter's Square
St. Peter's Basilica
Caty taking a picture of Michelangelo's first Pieta, in St. Peter's Basilica
Holy water font in St. Peter's Basilica
Stained glass window in St. Peter's Basilica
Doem of St. Peter's Basilica, designed by Michelangelo
Caty taking a picture of Swiss Guard
Gate at the Vatican
Spanish Steps
Bernini Fountain at the base of the Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain, we all threw coins
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Gratitude
Tonight I watched a YouTube video with Dr. Brene Brown talking about the relationship between joy and gratitude. She explained that practicing gratitude invites joy into our lives. As I walk through the streets of Florence these last few days I find myself living in a sort of joy, understanding the life I have had that has led me to this point. When we study abroad we learn about a different culture, exploring it like a sort of magical land. In the end we find humanity and reality, both much farther from the fantasy that we had envisioned. But also, studying abroad, for any amount of time in any fashion, is truly a unique opportunity, one that few will be able to participate in. As I was approaching graduation in the last several months, and then reaching it, I have constantly been challenged to use my degree for something more. Yes, it is indeed a diploma outlining my academic achievement as an undergrad, but it means so much more. We are in a country and a culture, that even though education is expensive, people are educated. We are literate. So when we continue our education, we also have a responsibility to use it to improve the world in which we live. The education we work for is bigger than ourselves. Studying abroad carries a similar responsibility. We are able to leave the culture and the world that we have known to observe and experience another. It stretches and strengthens who we are like yoga stretches and strengthens the body. At first you are uncomfortable, and while in the pose you wonder why you are doing this, but once you come back to center it seems to make sense. Your feel better, fuller, and almost cleansed.
As I have walked the streets I have wondered how I have practiced gratitude. Yesterday, I had to buy a new suitcase in one of the outdoor markets. TSA was so kind as to mutilate the bag I brought with me. I kept walking through thinking where is that stupid stand so I can buy a cheap suitcase so I can pack and go home. So as I was walking through the market I ended up talking to several people. I found myself practiciing gratitude so freely in one of the most crowded and stressful places in the city. And by talking to people, remembering that they too are on a journey somewhere, whether it is through travel or through daily life, I found myself truly grateful. Two of the vendors I did business with caught me off guard. The first was a woman selling t-shirts. I always ask the vendors where they are from, because I just want to talk to someone. And this woman talked to me. I mean she really talked to me, even introducing me to her daughter. Once I found my suitcase by "Suitcase" I was exhausted. After I haggled the price down to a place I was okay paying for, the man started to talk to me. And yes, I am guessing part of it is salesmanship. But I would ungrateful if I brushed it off.
Tomorrow I will see my favorite work of art in all the world. Since being here I have been submersed in art, a place I willingly go. Throughout this trip I have seen the work of Michelangelo in such a way that both mirrors his life, but also how I saw some of these works the first time I saw them six years ago. I remember seeing the Pieta he completed in less than a year when he was just a little older than I am now, and I just melted. I have seen his second and last Pietas, I have seen the Medici tombs (Dawn and Dusk & Night and Day), I have visited his tomb located in Santa Croce. Everyday, I find myself moved. The average person only spends 8 seconds looking at a single piece of art. When I see art I look at it, I take it in. And if I can't really take it in, I wait until I can. I live graciously through art. And as the trip comes to a close, and I reflect on the art, I find that I have given it its due respect. Today and this trip I am grateful to have travelled with a dynamic group of women, and a wise professor. I am grateful to see the work of some of the greatest minds of the Renaissance. I am grateful that I have been surrounded by people rich in culture and humanity. And most of all I am grateful for the learning and the knowledge gained. I will touch down Saturday night knowing a little more about who I am and who I want to be.
Peace, as always,
Caty
As I have walked the streets I have wondered how I have practiced gratitude. Yesterday, I had to buy a new suitcase in one of the outdoor markets. TSA was so kind as to mutilate the bag I brought with me. I kept walking through thinking where is that stupid stand so I can buy a cheap suitcase so I can pack and go home. So as I was walking through the market I ended up talking to several people. I found myself practiciing gratitude so freely in one of the most crowded and stressful places in the city. And by talking to people, remembering that they too are on a journey somewhere, whether it is through travel or through daily life, I found myself truly grateful. Two of the vendors I did business with caught me off guard. The first was a woman selling t-shirts. I always ask the vendors where they are from, because I just want to talk to someone. And this woman talked to me. I mean she really talked to me, even introducing me to her daughter. Once I found my suitcase by "Suitcase" I was exhausted. After I haggled the price down to a place I was okay paying for, the man started to talk to me. And yes, I am guessing part of it is salesmanship. But I would ungrateful if I brushed it off.
Tomorrow I will see my favorite work of art in all the world. Since being here I have been submersed in art, a place I willingly go. Throughout this trip I have seen the work of Michelangelo in such a way that both mirrors his life, but also how I saw some of these works the first time I saw them six years ago. I remember seeing the Pieta he completed in less than a year when he was just a little older than I am now, and I just melted. I have seen his second and last Pietas, I have seen the Medici tombs (Dawn and Dusk & Night and Day), I have visited his tomb located in Santa Croce. Everyday, I find myself moved. The average person only spends 8 seconds looking at a single piece of art. When I see art I look at it, I take it in. And if I can't really take it in, I wait until I can. I live graciously through art. And as the trip comes to a close, and I reflect on the art, I find that I have given it its due respect. Today and this trip I am grateful to have travelled with a dynamic group of women, and a wise professor. I am grateful to see the work of some of the greatest minds of the Renaissance. I am grateful that I have been surrounded by people rich in culture and humanity. And most of all I am grateful for the learning and the knowledge gained. I will touch down Saturday night knowing a little more about who I am and who I want to be.
Peace, as always,
Caty
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